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Defence R&D Canada Installing and configuring a declassification system A solution combining Trusted Solaris and Free and Open Source Software Richard Carbone Certified Hacking Forensic Investigator (EC-Council CHFI) Certified Incident Handler (SANS) DRDC Valcartier Simon Vincent Collège O’Sullivan Defence R&D Canada – Valcartier Technical Memorandum DRDC Valcartier TM 2009-086 February 20113 Installing and configuring a declassification system A solution combining Trusted Solaris and Free and Open Source Software Richard Carbone Certified Hacking Forensic Investigator (EC-Council CHFI) Certified Incident Handler (SANS) DRDC Valcartier Simon Vincent Collège O'Sullivan Defence R&D Canada – Valcartier Technical Memorandum DRDC Valcartier TM 2009-086 February 2013 Principal Author Original signed by Richard Carbone Richard Carbone Programmer/Analyst Approved by Original Signed by Guy Turcotte Guy Turcotte Head/Mission Critical Cyber Security Section Approved for release by Original signed by Christian Carrier Christian Carrier Chief Scientist © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of National Defence, 2013 © Sa Majesté la Reine (en droit du Canada), telle que représentée par le ministre de la Défense nationale, 2013 Abstract …..... In spring 2008, certain project requirements necessitated the use and implementation of a system that could be used to declassify classified data for use on unclassified systems and networks. Some of the researchers at Defence Research Development Canada – Valcartier wished to be able to share declassified versions of their work with others. However, data residing on classified systems and networks cannot easily be transmitted to unclassified systems. Although it can be done, a variety of safeguards, data containment and compartmentalization and various procedures must be followed for doing so. The challenge is not so much the procedures and safeguards, but rather using an accredited system for containing and compartmentalizing the data to be declassified. Since no DND policy is clear on which systems to use or the process by which data can be declassified, the primary author decided that by combining commercially available software with specific FOSS components, a secure system could be built that would satisfy even the most stringent security requirements. The solution chosen was a combination of Trusted Solaris and various commonly used FOSS packages. This memorandum therefore describes how such a system is built and configured. Résumé …..... Au printemps 2008, certaines exigences de projets nécessitaient l’utilisation et l’implantation d’un système qui pourrait être utilisé pour déclassifier des données classifiées pour une utilisation sur des systèmes et des réseaux non classifiés. Certains chercheurs à Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada – Valcartier voulaient être en mesure de partager des versions déclassifiées de leurs travaux avec d’autres. Toutefois, des données résidant sur des systèmes et réseaux classifiés ne peuvent pas facilement être transmises sur des systèmes non classifiés. Même si cela peut être fait, un éventail de protections ainsi que différentes procédures pour le confinement et le cloisonnement des données, entre autre, doivent être suivies pour y parvenir. Le défi n'est pas tant les procédures et les protections, mais plutôt l’utilisation d’un système accrédité pour le confinement et le cloisonnement des données à être déclassifiées. Puisqu’aucune politique du MDN est claire sur les systèmes à utiliser ou le processus par lequel les données peuvent être déclassifiées, l’auteur principal décida qu’en combinant des logiciels commerciaux disponibles avec des composants à code source libre et ouvert, un système sécuritaire qui satisferait même les exigences de sécurité les plus strictes pourrait être construit. La solution choisie est une combinaison de Trusted Solaris et de différents progiciels à code source libre et ouvert couramment utilisés. Ce mémorandum décrit donc comment un tel système est construit et configuré. DRDC Valcartier TM 2009-086 i This page intentionally left blank. ii DRDC Valcartier TM 2009-086 Executive summary Installing and configuring a declassification system: A solution combining Trusted Solaris and Free and Open Source Software Carbone, R.; DRDC Valcartier TM 2009-086; Defence R&D Canada – Valcartier; February 2013. Specific classified projects require that eventually, data and results obtained from systems specific to one or more classified networks be shared and disseminated with colleagues and various collaborators. However, declassifying data is not an easy task. Unless there exist two simultaneous versions of an experiment, each conducted independently of the other (one classified and the other unclassified), results from the classified experiment cannot generally be released, as it would be deemed to derive, directly or indirectly, from a classified project. Of course, certain classified specifics can always be generalized to the point that the data can be readily declassified. However, it is not only experiments and their results that require occasional declassification. Other instances may necessitate those different types of files detailing various specifics, whether about a project, experiment, research or collaboration, to be shared and disseminated with others. The problem in so doing is that often individuals wishing to receive a copy of the classified file(s) either do not have adequate access or the files are deemed “need to know”, thereby restricting the files, their data and potential audience. However, if the files can be adequately stripped of details and information concerning highly classified materials and other “need to know only” material, then the files can be disseminated across a larger community. This dissemination enables researchers to further share and propagates their ideas, technologies and results. This larger audience may be able to provide additional contributions or refinements to the shared work they received. Of course, those in this larger community must have adequate security clearances so that they can work on and access the material in question. The problem of data declassification is not a new one, as it is has persisted and plagued security researchers, system administrators and information security officers for many years. However, systems already exist which are fully capable of handling, storing and processing data at multiple levels of classification. These systems are commonly referred to as MLS (multi-level security) systems and are used extensively by military and intelligence agencies throughout the world for treating and working with classified electronic information. Some of these systems have obtained TCSEC (and where applicable Common Criteria) accreditation; as such, some of can be readily accepted in high-security environments, as approved by their national accreditation agency. This memorandum will therefore demonstrate how a readily procured commercial MLS system, Trusted Solaris 8 (TSOL), when combined with appropriate open source software, can be used for editing and stripping out classified material from a file which, upon approval, can be downgraded and disseminated at a lower level of classification. However, this memorandum does not assume that highly classified data can simply, upon editing, be downgraded to a publicly releasable version. On the contrary, it is assumed that a file will be undergoing appropriate modification to go from highly classified to a lower level of classification. However, the original file nevertheless remains classified. DRDC Valcartier TM 2009-086 iii Sommaire ..... Installing and configuring a declassification system: A solution combining Trusted Solaris and Free and Open Source Software Carbone, R. ; DRDC Valcartier TM 2009-086 ; R & D pour la défense Canada – Valcartier; février 2013. Certains projets classifiés particuliers exigent qu’éventuellement, les données et les résultats obtenus à partir de systèmes spécifiques à un ou plusieurs réseaux classifiés, soient partagés et diffusés avec plusieurs collègues et collaborateurs. Toutefois, déclassifier des données n'est pas une tâche facile. À moins qu’il existe deux versions d’une même expérience, chacune menée de façon indépendante l’une de l'autre (l’une classifiée et l’autre pas), les résultats de l'expérience classifiée ne peuvent généralement pas être communiqués, car ils seraient considérés comme dérivant, directement ou indirectement, d’un projet classifié. Bien sûr, certaines particularités peuvent toujours être généralisées au point où les données peuvent être facilement déclassifiées. Cependant, ce ne sont pas seulement des expériences et leurs résultats qui exigent une déclassification occasionnelle. D'autres cas peuvent nécessiter que différents types de fichiers, fournissant des détails, que ce soit à propos d’un projet, d’une expérience, d’une recherche ou d’une collaboration, doivent être partagés et diffusés avec d’autres. Le problème, ce faisant, est que souvent, les personnes qui souhaitent recevoir une copie du ou des dossiers classifié(s) n’ont soit pas un accès adéquat ou les fichiers ont une nécessité d'accès, limitant ainsi leur public potentiel. Cependant, si les fichiers peuvent être adéquatement dépouillés des détails et des informations concernant du matériel hautement classifié ou avec une nécessité d’accès, ils peuvent être diffusés à une communauté élargie. Cette diffusion permet aux chercheurs de partager et de propager davantage leurs
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